


Good Mom

by winterandhonor



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Gen, Original Character(s), Pearl-centric (Steven Universe)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 14:03:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20743409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterandhonor/pseuds/winterandhonor
Summary: A look at Pearl's formative experiences of trying to be the Mom she never planned to be.





	Good Mom

It was the first 3 hours of the Human day. At least 3 more hours until the Earth’s Sun would rise. Pearl sat on the beach watching the waves in the darkness holding the Human Child Rose had decided would be called Steven. He was sleeping peacefully. It hadn’t made a single noise in at least 2 hours.

She wasn’t supposed to be outside with Steven. Greg said that they didn’t need to hold him every second of the day, but to Pearl it felt wrong not to. Pearl had spent her whole life dedicated to Rose, protecting her, defending her. 

Now all that was left of Rose was trapped inside this tiny, defenseless Human baby. She couldn’t just leave him alone. Yet,she could barely stand to look at him without wanting to start sobbing all over again. 

It had been 6 months and what was that in an eternity? But she could already tell the baby was changing and growing and wasn't Rose. This wasn't like last time. She hadn't simply changed her form and her name. She had given her life. 

For this?

The baby began to wiggle a bit in her arms and Pearl tried not to squeeze him too tight. 

Every second she held him it felt like cradling air. Like he wasn't even real and yet she could feel his tiny body moving. His baby skin and hair felt finer and softer than any of the human fabrics she had ever touched. More like the delicate, wild things at the bottom of the sea. She wondered if she were to go into town and take a baby from a human dwelling would that baby feel the same, or was Steven somehow more delicate and ethereal because he was made from Rose. 

She had seen human babies before, but never before this baby had she really looked at one. Never had she held one or thought about how it would be to be tasked with something so incomprehensible as caring for one.

He opened his strange baby eyes that looked to Pearl like Blue Sandstone. Greg had told her that all babies had eyes like these. That after a couple of months his eyes would most likely change to a deep brown. Rose would have loved to see her babies eyes change colors, Pearl thought. 

Pearl began to cry, then the baby began to cry. Then they were both wailing, screaming, reflecting each other's pain back. 

"Pearl" she could hear Garnet calling for her but didn't acknowledge her.

"Give me the baby Pearl." Garnet demanded, as she knelt down in the sand in front of Pearl. 

"No!" Pearl wailed clutching him to her form. Baby Steven screamed louder. 

"Pearl you are upsetting yourself and Steven."  
Pearl still had tears flowing down her face, but she looked down at Steven again. 

At his sad, red, scrunched up tiny face. Pearl tried to get herself under control, but still didn't want to let go.  
"Pearl, please give me Steven so you can calm down. I'm not going to take him away." Garnet promised. 

Pearl reluctantly handed a still crying Steven to Garnet. Who sat down beside her and tried to comfort the baby. After awhile the beach was silent again except for the sound of crashing waves. 

"Pearl we have to learn how to be Mom's for Steven." Garnet said softly. 

"We aren't supposed to be Mothers Garnet we're Gems! We aren't supposed to have babies!" Pearl practically screamed. 

Garnet reached out and covered her mouth,"Shhhh Pearl. We can do this." 

"Please Garnet, I can't listen to you talk about what could be or what might be." 

"This isn't about seeing the future Pearl. This is about knowing us. We've fought and lead armies. We overcame our stations and defied Home World. If we can learn to be free, we can learn to be Mother figures to this baby."

"I can't do this Garnet. I just can't. I can't take care of Rose's child when she's…." 

Garnet gently cupped Pearls face and pulled her head down to her shoulder, "You can Pearl. You can and you will. We will."

Pearl continued to cry into Garnet's shoulder. 

4 Years Later

Pearl was at the horrible, stupid grocery store so she could find some food for Steven. Greg had told them they had to buy groceries and other life necessities if they wanted to keep Steven for longer periods of time since they didn't trust other people to watch him. Well Pearl was going to conquer this cereal aisle if it meant she could keep an eye on Steven. 

"Steven which cereal do you want to eat? A brown cereal, rainbow cereal, or white cereal?  
Steven?" 

Pearl looked down to where the little boy had been standing by her side just a moment before.  
She wiped her head around in all directions looking for him.

"Steven!" She cried out his name dashing down the aisle and almost already in tears only to almost run into him standing just around the end of the aisle. She scooped up the tiny boy and started crying into his wild curls. 

Pearls tears were interrupted by someone saying, "Hey it's ok. He's safe now. You're still a good Mom." 

Pearl looked up and blinked her gaint glassy eyes at the human speaking to her. Steven tried wiping off her tears with his tiny hands as soon as she stopped squeezing him. 

"What did you say?" Pearl squeaked out. She really looked at the human in front of her. She was short and curvy with dark skin and big full curly hair. She was wearing an apron with the stores logo embossed on the front.

She smiled with her big cheery eyes and repeated, "I said you're still a good Mom. He didn't get far at all. Sometimes little ones wander away and I see ladies completely freak out and talk about how horrible they are for not watching them closer. But sometimes it just happens ya know? It'll be ok."

"Oh… thank you," Pearl replied.

"This is Pearl!" Steven suddenly interjected.

Pearl just gave him a look while the young human laughed. Then he pointed to the girl, "This is Mari." 

"Thank you for introducing us Steven," Mari said. 

"I'm sorry I made you sad Pearl, but Mari has hair like Garnet! Look at it! Amazing! I had to tell her." 

"That's wonderful Steven. I'm sure she is thrilled you acknowledged her hair. She is very kind. Now say goodbye so we can leave."

"Goodbye," Mari said smiling and waving at them. 

"Goodbye," Steven shouted still from Pearls arms while waving both hands vigorously. 

Pearl drove them back to the beach house and let Steven walk himself up the steps and go running into Amethyst's arms. 

"So what did you get at the store P?" Amethyst asked. 

Pearl realized then in her panic she'd forgotten all about the actual shopping.

"Nothing!" She announced "But I'm a good Mom."


End file.
